This invention relates to an article-storing box placed in an auto mobile trunk, particularly to one possible to be collapsed, taking small space and convenient to put articles in it or take them out.
Generally, consumers are used to putting various articles just bought from a supermarket or a shopping center directly into their automobile trunk, letting raw meat or fish mingled with cooked food and the like and resulting in a filthy condition not hygienic at all.
To solve such a problem, article-storing boxes to be placed in an automobile trunk have come into existence in recent years. Such an article-storing box has plural detachable separating plates provided inside to form several compartments for storing different articles, as disclosed in a Taiwan Patent Publication No. 299731 and in an U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,412.
The aforesaid article-storing box has an advantage of storing articles by classification, but cannot be collapsed, so it takes big space in an automobile trunk even if it is empty, causing inconvenience in transporting or carrying.
The objective of this invention is to offer an article-storing box placed in an automobile trunk, capable to be collapsed, needing only small space and easy to put articles in it or take them out.
The article-storing box in this invention includes a bottom base, a pair of lateral side plates, a pair of lengthwise plates and plural separating plates. The bottom base is formed integral and has a chamber in the center. The front and the rear ails of the chamber are respectively formed with a stepped surface having a plurality of pivotal connectors protruding up and a flexible tongue is oppositely formed in a center portion of the left and the right wall of the chamber, with each tongue having a stop member protruding toward the interior of the chamber. The bottom base further has a hollow grip integrally formed protruding out of the front side.
The bottom ends of the two lateral side plates are respectively fitted pivotally and vertically between the two stepped surfaces of the left and the right wall of the chamber to let the two lateral side plates capable to be pivotally swung up and down to be placed horizontally between two stepped surfaces of the chamber when collapsed. Then a through hole is bored in the middle section near the top edge of each lateral side plate, and an insert groove is bored in two opposite sides of each lateral side plate, and further two movable insert blocks fitting in the two insert grooves are respectively provided in two opposite sides of each lateral side plate.
Each lengthwise side plate has its bottom side pivotally combined with the pivotal connectors on each stepped surface of the chamber to let the two lengthwise side plates pivotally swung up and down to rest horizontally on the lateral side plates when collapsed. Two hooks conforming to the two insert grooves of each lateral side plate are formed integral on two opposite ends of each lengthwise side plate, and each hook has an insert hole. Besides, plural guide grooves are formed integral in the inner wall of each lengthwise side plate, each tide groove has a position member aligned with the hook, and each position member is broed with a recess in the center, with the recess having an expanded position hole in an intermediate portion.
A plurality of separating plates are provided to have the same structure as the lateral side plates, respectively having a through hole in the middle section near its top edge and two insert grooves and two insert blocks provided in two sides, but detachable not pivotally combined with the bottom base.
In assembling for use, pivotally swing up the lengthwise side plates and the lateral side plates orderly to make them stand upright on the bottom base, with the hooks of the cover inserted into the insert grooves of the lateral side plates orderly from a collapsed condition of the article-storing box. Then the insert blocks of the lateral side plates actuated to extend into the insert holes of the hooks. Then each separating plate is fitted between two lengthwise side plates through the guide grooves in the inner walls of the lengthwise side plates, letting the insert blocks of the separating plates facing with the position member of the lengthwise side plates and activate the insert blocks of the separating plates to insert in the position holes of the position members, thus finishing assembly of the article-storing box for use.